Chucks

[Twax10]

Tally up another 2. 70 yards and a little over 100. Both head shots (that's all I could see over the tall grass).

[DirtTime]

Nice kills Twax10.

Does anyone eat the meat or just use the furs?

 

[airedale]

While I think the fur maybe could be used for something I have not ever seen a hide tanned or made into any kind of garment. Probably because the fur is not very dense especially on the belly and it somewhat coarse and hard feeling in my opinion.

 

As for eating I have had Woodchuck several times and it was always very good. A Woodchuck taken out of a nice green alfalfa field has fine flavor and is not tough if prepared properly. If you like eating Rabbit or Squirrels it is a good bet that you will like Woodchuck.

 

Al

[Pygmy]

I don't think woodchucks have any "fur" per se to be of any value, although a guy in Corning used to dye the tail hair different colors and make tandem streamers , locally called " Wally's Woodchucks".  They were ( and may still be) popular for fast trolling for smallmouths and salmonoids  on Keuka, Seneca, and probably some of the other Finger lakes.

 

However,, woodchuck hide is very tough, and according to an article that I read many, many years ago in Fur-Fish-Game, it makes excellent leather when tanned. 

 

 

[ants]

Man …chuck rigs have changed…..I haven't really hunted them since the late 80's early 90's. me and my buddy used Iron sighted 22's. He did have a 22 Mag, mine was LR,. We would drill them at close to 100yds. But I remember missing a lot…..LOL!

[dbHunterNY]

While I think the fur maybe could be used for something I have not ever seen a hide tanned or made into any kind of garment. Probably because the fur is not very dense especially on the belly and it somewhat coarse and hard feeling in my opinion.

 

As for eating I have had Woodchuck several times and it was always very good. A Woodchuck taken out of a nice green alfalfa field has fine flavor and is not tough if prepared properly. If you like eating Rabbit or Squirrels it is a good bet that you will like Woodchuck.

 

Al

 

I agree about the fur.  As for eating them I'm not in a position to comment.  I leave them for fox, coyote, or the like.  I figure it's makes them less inclined to go seeking out fawns.  As soon as you walk away a fox family will come right out to get it if you drop it near their den.

[dbHunterNY]

Man …chuck rigs have changed…..I haven't really hunted them since the late 80's early 90's. me and my buddy used Iron sighted 22's. He did have a 22 Mag, mine was LR,. We would drill them at close to 100yds. But I remember missing a lot…..LOL!

 

most of the farm is hay fields.  with limited time I walk to the field, glass, and then shoot a chuck or move on.  if all I had was a 22LR I'd have to setup on the closest wood line and wait for it to come back out or come out period.  not as productive.  also unless you pop them in the head with a 22LR sized bullet they can crawl back into the hole.  not the best way to die and if other another chuck is in the hole it'll leave and go find a new one or most likely dig a new one nearby.  a chuck will clean out an old hole if it finds it and push out any skeletal remains though that have been cleaned off underground.

[dbHunterNY]

Tally up another 2. 70 yards and a little over 100. Both head shots (that's all I could see over the tall grass).....

 

there's definitely a lull between now and the time we cut a hay field that depends on the weather/rain.  grass is definitely tall.  setting up watching sides of hills or knolls are best now. 

[dbHunterNY]

I took this picture in Manhattan.

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college dorm they recently built near the office has all landscaped ground and banks around it.  when I leave work I drive by at prime time in the evenings for chucks to be out.  I think there's double the holes there was last summer.  every landscaped and mulched tree has a mound of dirt at it's base and a handful of burrows in the bank going under the ball field.  it's like a prairie dog town out west. lol

[Twax10]

there's definitely a lull between now and the time we cut a hay field that depends on the weather/rain. grass is definitely tall. setting up watching sides of hills or knolls are best now.

They cut half of the hay field that I've been shooting most of my chucks out of this summer. The good half is yet to be cut so I'm looking forward to that.

The first one I shot was actually in the cut part of the field but he was half in his hole and there was some tall grass around it which made for a more difficult shot. I like those shots tho. They'll really test how good you are with your firearm. Also it will either be a clean miss or a clean hit. Nothing in between.

[turkeyfeathers]

On the way out of the turkey woods I spotted this chuck rumbling thru the field. Made a great shot with Beretta 92 9mm with Speer Gold Dot. He crumbled pretty good.

[dbHunterNY]

On the way out of the turkey woods I spotted this chuck rumbling thru the field. Made a great shot with Beretta 92 9mm with Speer Gold Dot. He crumbled pretty good.

 

I've often thought about toting along my 9mm with jacketed hollow points to dispatch a chuck still alive in the hole entrance.  not often i need to so i haven't really carried a pistol with me.

[Twax10]

Got 1 more as the sun was going down this afternoon. First kill for my newest 17.

[dbHunterNY]

how does the new gun shoot compared to the a17?  using the same ammo?  doing good.  keep at it.  saw some out today while out around town but didn't have to go hunting.

[Twax10]

how does the new gun shoot compared to the a17? using the same ammo? doing good. keep at it. saw some out today while out around town but didn't have to go hunting.

It shoots well. I've only put the A17 Ammo through it so far but I got sub-moa groups with ease so I figured there was no need to try anything else. I have had a few fte's and the bolt isn't as smooth as I would like. It's still new though (<50 rounds) so we'll see how it goes with a little more shooting. It's got a great feel and a smooth trigger. Overall I'm happy so far.

[wildcat junkie]

I started waging war on the ones around my garden after they ate 17 of the 18 tomato plants we set outb last week. The one that was left had the main stem nipped off so it was a loss too.

 

Shot one 3 evenings ago just 30yds from the kitchen sliding door & missed one down by the garden (about 70yds) the next day trying a shot W/O a rest.

 

Here is my 200yd rig.

 

 A 5rmm RF Magnum converted to CF using a Shroeder bolt head & cases.

 

Shoots 33gr V-Max bullets @ 2450 fps.

 

Sighted in 2 1/2" high @ 100yds, it is zeroed @ 185yds & about 1 1/4" low @ 200yds.

 

1/2" 5-shot groups @ 100yds

 

Groups open up to just over 1" @ 200yds

 

 

Same energy @ 185yds as a 17 HMR has @ the muzzle & costs me about $15 to load 100rds.

 

I use 6.8gr of Alliant 2400 so I get 1000 loads from a pound of powder. Cartridges are loaded to .015 off the lands so the 33gr V-Max bullets won't function through the magazine, but Shroeder 40gr FMJ RN bullets will feed 3 rounds through the detachable box magazine.

Edited June 5, 2016 by wildcat junkie

[airedale]

Nice outfit WJ, the Remington 591 and it's 5mm chambering was and is  real nice rifle for short to moderate range chuck hunting. I always thought it to be better than the 22 mag which is also a good little round. I think had the 5mm had been chambered in some other rifles for a bit of a selection to choose from along with different loadings as the 17 HMR has received it might have been a lot more popular. Aguila still makes runs of 5mm ammo every now and then to keep the old 591s usable. That conversion to centerfire was a good option if one is a handloader, it kicks things up a notch and you sure can't beat cost per round.

 

Al

[wildcat junkie]

 I think had the 5mm had been chambered in some other rifles for a bit of a selection to choose from along with different loadings as the 17 HMR has received it might have been a lot more popular.

Al

Yes Remington signed the death warrant for the 5mm RFM when they kept it to themselves.

 

I did the conversion before the reappearance of 5mm rimfire ammo, but the performance of the CF far outpaces that of rf ammo. Not to mention the cost savings. The popularity of the .204 Rugar brought a wide selection of 5mm bullets to the market and that was a big help.

Edited June 7, 2016 by wildcat junkie

[Chromeslayer]

Have killed a even 30 the last 3 trips out..still lots to get!

[BizCT]

I got one in my backyard that goes under my shed, gonna have to take it out

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Setup trap last night. Got squirrel this morning, released it and got woodchuck this afternoon. Angry littlebastard. Rattling his teeth at me. Relocating him tonight, several miles away

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[turkeyfeathers]

Setup trap last night. Got squirrel this morning, released it and got woodchuck this afternoon. Angry littlebastard. Rattling his teeth at me. Relocating him tonight, several miles away

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got any co workers who you don't like and keep their car unlocked ?

[dbHunterNY]

So yesterday I was at the farm. Nice weather. 1st cutting off several fields now. After unloading some hay wagons I went around checking for holes in the truck. Spotted a chuck in one. Stalked along field edge to 226 yards and decided that was close enough. Count should climb fast if I can get out more and now that some fields are mowed off.

[Twax10]

That's a good poke, nice shooting. I had one of the farmers flag me down while I was driving by a few days ago. Said there's been a "big chuck" out behind the Mexican trailers for a few weeks that he wanted me to get rid of. I just happened to have my gun in the truck so I told him that he would be there for long. 5 minutes later...

[dbHunterNY]

seems all the chucks you've been posting are good size. that last one is definitely a big one.  i keep after them pretty good so i get a lot of smaller younger chucks that have moved in from the surrounding area.  one older field is pretty bad that just got mowed.  problem is it's got some houses closer to it.  some close enough were i'd get their blessing first.  kind of wish I had a quieter rimfire for taking them out of that field.

[turkeyfeathers]

seems all the chucks you've been posting are good size. that last one is definitely a big one.  i keep after them pretty good so i get a lot of smaller younger chucks that have moved in from the surrounding area.  one older field is pretty bad that just got mowed.  problem is it's got some houses closer to it.  some close enough were i'd get their blessing first.  kind of wish I had a quieter rimfire for taking them out of that field.

2 liter pop bottle. Just sayin'